Bring Out the BEST in D.C.

In 2018, Shaquell made a trip to Martha’s Table that changed everything for her and her son.

From the minute she walked through our doors in Southeast D.C. three years ago, she knew Martha’s Table was the best place for her son, Ahmir, to learn and grow.

Ahmir brings projects home from Martha’s Table and says, ‘look what I did today!’ The teachers have been so accommodating…He has grown so much being at Martha’s Table—socially and educationally.

—Ms. Shaquell, Ahmir’s Mother

After three years of learning and developing at Martha’s Table, Shaquell’s baby boy is grown up and ready for kindergarten. We are so grateful for supporters like you who help children like Ahmir build a strong foundation and prepare for a lifelong love of learning!

Walking into one of our classrooms, you can see the joy in the eyes of children as they learn with their teachers and classmates. We are inspired by the possibilities their futures hold…we can envision them growing up to be scientists, doctors, entrepreneurs, writers, and more.

It is the bright smiles of our students that inspired our new initiative to invest in the future of D.C. children. Your support will help fund $1,000 child savings accounts for 100 children each year.

The impact will be immense. Research has shown that $499 in a child savings account makes a child 4X more likely to graduate college!

Your ALL IN support will help us support hundreds of children from cradle to career. 

Will you make a generous gift this to invest in the future of children like Ahmir?

At Martha’s Table, it starts with food…

Mr. Charles Valentine, a regular visitor to our grocery market, knows healthy food is fundamental. “Especially in these times, we should be eating fruits and vegetables,” he shared.

With your help, Martha’s Table has remained open and expanded, even when HALF of all local food distribution nonprofits closed their doors in 2020. With one in three food nonprofits remaining closed into this year, we have not stopped.

Our goal this #GivingTuesday is to raise $165,000 to bring out the BEST in D.C. This is enough to fill grocery bags with fruits, vegetables, and shelf-stable items for 16,500 neighbors. With your help, every neighbor like Mr. Valentine will get the food they need.

“I appreciate that I can take this healthy food to senior citizens and pass it out…and also to help myself out. These guys have been supplying the neighborhood with healthy food. I appreciate them and I always give them thanks,” Mr. Valentine shared with joy.

Mr. Valentine is a shining example of how our community at Martha’s Table brings out the best in D.C.—shopping with us AND helping bring food to others.

“We have been able to increase our reach by saying ‘Hey, I’ll take ten grocery bags’ and going to the seniors’ homes around the block…we go to where folks are.”

—Mr. Ewing-Boyd, Martha’s Table Volunteer and Partner

Will you make a generous gift to help fill dinner tables around D.C. with healthy, nutritious food?

My name is VJ Kibler, and I am a proud father and Ward 8 resident.

In 2018 we noticed signs promoting Martha’s Table in the community, and we were curious. Around the same time, my wife Gabi met with MT teachers at a community event while she was pregnant with our son Gavin.

She knew this was the place for our newborn to grow and learn. Now two-years-old, our son is still enrolled in the education program and thriving.

Being a father to two sons is the best thing that ever happened to me. It has given me perspective and changed my life in a major way. I love spending time with my sons, doing anything that can keep them engaged, like playing games, sports, or puzzles. Their happiness is my priority.

As a resident of Southeast, I am driven to be a positive role model in my neighborhood. I know what I had to work through from my past, and I want to show the young men in my community that they can take charge of their future. It is important to me to create safe and supportive spaces for young people, so they understand that they have unlimited possibilities in their lives.

The future is bright for my family and my neighbors. Together with Martha’s Table, we will create a supportive community for families in Southeast D.C. where every resident can achieve their dreams.

—Mr. Kibler

Your support of Martha’s Table helps provide high-quality early education for children in D.C.—but that’s just the start. You also help ensure parents have the resources they need to thrive. From no-cost healthy groceries and tips about easy nutritious meals to direct cash assistance and programs that build community among parents and caregivers.

With our Fathers to the Front program, Mr. Kibler enjoys the opportunity to connect with other male caregivers for support.

We discuss things as fathers—what we can do to better ourselves, be better partners, fathers, and just better men in general…It’s a blessing to be part of Martha’s Table.

—Mr. Kibler

Fathers and male caregivers like Mr. Kibler are a blessing to the Martha’s Table community! Thank you for helping us ensure all parents and families have the support they need to thrive!

Will you make a generous gift to help strong parents like Mr. Kibler?

With the help of our generous donors and kind volunteers, Martha’s Table prepares a freshly made meal every day for our McKenna’s Wagon program. At 4:30PM, volunteers help pack up our bright blue vans and roll out to deliver meals to 200+ neighbors experiencing hunger or housing insecurity downtown.

Ms. Kelsey Holden, a regular volunteer with McKenna’s Wagon, shared, “We tell our neighbors we’re here 365 days a year, and they’re like, ‘WOW…really?'”

“The meals have just been amazing during the pandemic,” Ms. Holden shared. “I’m always struck by how folks we’re serving look out for one another…They really support first-time guests. That’s just so energizing!”

One night, we were stopped in our tracks by one of our neighbors.

After all our guests had received their free meals, this neighbor approached us and asked, “Do you take cash?”

Our team member shared that there is no cost for our meals. The neighbor then shared that his friend had sadly passed away. He was left with their remaining possessions…including $60 cash.

The neighbor choked up with emotion and explained,

“He was the one who brought me to McKenna’s Wagon in the first place—I’ve been able to eat because of him and because of you.”

He turned his pockets inside out and found $23. He handed us his only twenty-dollar bill and insisted on making the donation in memory of his friend. 

We are deeply grateful for this neighbor…and all the neighbors who step up to bring out the BEST in our D.C. community.

Will you make a generous gift to ensure every Washingtonian has access to healthy meals?

“Martha’s Table has been one of our most important partners for Stokes School during the pandemic,” Mr. Ewing-Boyd shared with joy.

Mr. Ewing-Boyd is E.W. Stokes School’s East End Campus Director, and the fuel behind Martha’s Table’s Joyful Food Market at the Northeast D.C. charter school.

Sadly, when schools are closed—in summer months and during the pandemic—many families are at high risk of food insecurity.

“We want to make sure that the folks who need to eat, can eat,” Mr. Ewing-Boyd stressed.

That’s why YOU are critical to our community. With your help, we continue to get healthy food into the community—even throughout the 2020 school year and the critical summer months. 

This fall, we have markets in 50 elementary schools across D.C. each month!  Mr. Ewing-Boyd and the many partners for our markets are critical to bringing out the BEST in D.C. as we celebrate the joy of healthy eating with children.

With your help, we will help bring out the BEST in D.C. by ensuring every child has access to the healthy food the need to grow. Will you make a generous gift to help fill family dinner tables around D.C. with healthy, nutritious food?